Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
This complaint was filed via e-mail. Three days after purchasing and installing four new tires, one of the tires went flat, and a pin hole leak was found in the sidewall, near the bead. Two months later, made a left turn too wide and clipped a curb. This resulted in front right tire looking like it was cut in multiple places through the plys in the sidewall. At the same time, the right rear tire showed a bubble in the sidewall. Pep boys implied there was no defect on these tires, and offered no warranty coverage. Cooper, futura plus touring se. The consumer has the defective tires in his possession.
Driving south on I-75 at 70 MPH. Clear day, no rain. Car suddenly swerved and did two 360 degree spins beginning in right hand lane and coming to rest in left hand lane facing traffic. Tire tread had separated from the tire on the left rear, severely damaging left rear of car. Traffic report was made. No repairs yet.
My aunt just bought 4 new tires for her Taurus in August ,2000 and the week before christmas she was going to her mothers down the street about 3 blocks . Her back tire and the frount tire blew out . Does these tires have recalls on them and what can we do about it , the place where she got the tires said nothing to help her and the damage was 2500.00 with no one hurt. Please let me know something by email. Thank you'''( dot number: )
While driving at highway speed, the tire tread completely separated from the tire body as has been reported on the Firestone tires under recall. At no time did the tire deflate. When the tread cap separated from the tire it flew up onto the fender area and caused some scratching. The vehicle was stopped without incident or injury to any of the passengers and no other vehicles were involved.( dot number: a3ur442117 tire size: p205/65r15 )
Ever since tire seperated and we went off the road, even the second set of new tires won't stay balenced. One to two times a month have had to have tires re-balenced. We continue to have problems with the car. The Ford dealer claims that there is no problem and general tires have not returned our calls. (tiresize: p205/65r15)( dot number: tire size: p205/65r15 )
Consume rwas traveling about 60mph on highway because she heard a bumping noise. She was able to pull over to the shoulder, and she discovered that right passenger's front tire tread separated, one big chunk off tire. Tires were general #g45 205/70 r15. She took vehicle to the dealership.
General ameri g45 p205/65r15 92t driving at 65mph when the shaking become more pronounced, I had trouble maintaining control overthe car--managed to pull the car to the side of the road--noticed that the tire was not flat but the tread had separated
Tires on 1997, Ford, Taurus had a tire separation on rear tire then on front right tire with less then 10 thousand miles on each tire. Contacted dealer, and dealer was willing to work something out with consumer. Tire size is p205-65r15.
Tire on rear side of vehicle was split, causing a rough ride. Consumer had taken vehicle to the dealership several times. Also, complaining that speedodometer was defective, it didn't show how fast vehicle was going.
It isn't just the SUV's where this tire failure is occurring--fortunately I maintained control of the car. This has happened to me twice before with less than 20,000 miles on original Ford tires.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 1997 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 1997 Ford Taurus, 3% of the model year's 770 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Ford Taurus wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 1997 Ford Taurus, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Ford Taurus wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.